WAN Show: Intel vs AMD, Tech News & Crypto Drama
Intel Core i9-11980HK Announcement
Intel has announced the Core i9-11980HK, marketing it as the "world's best gaming laptop processor." While impressive on paper with 8 cores and 5GHz boost, the hosts remain cautious:
• Independent benchmarks are pending as press samples were stuck in customs.
• The comparison to AMD Ryzen 9 chips relies on different laptop configurations, making an apples-to-apples performance assessment difficult.
• Battery life remains a significant concern, with high-performance desktop replacements often struggling to last more than two hours.
Nvidia RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti
Nvidia is introducing the RTX 3050 and 3050 Ti series to bring ray tracing and gaming performance to $800 entry-level laptops.
• Although not powerhouse cards for high-end ray tracing, they provide meaningful performance for esports games like League of Legends and Valorant.
• Given current desktop GPU shortages, buying a complete laptop with these cards may be more cost-effective than finding a standalone 3060.
The Elon Musk & Tesla Bitcoin Controversy
Tesla has suspended Bitcoin as a payment method, citing environmental concerns regarding fossil fuel usage in mining.
"We are concerned about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining and transactions, especially coal."
• The hosts discuss the potential for market manipulation or 4D chess moves, noting that the energy cost of crypto is a long-standing issue that wasn't exactly revelatory for Musk.
• They highlight that while some mining is renewable-based, the global energy crisis means that even renewable power used for mining has an opportunity cost elsewhere.
Apple vs. Epic Games Trial
Court proceedings continue, revealing interesting behind-the-scenes dynamics of tech giants.
• A bizarre moment occurred in court where lawyers argued over whether the Fortnite character Peely (a banana) should wear professional attire in federal court.
• The judge has hinted at a potential compromise regarding alternate payment methods on the App Store, which would be a significant win for developers if implemented.